McCain: US Withdrawal from Iraq an Iranian Victory
Deep disagreements surfaced on US Capitol Hill Tuesday on the announced withdrawal of Washington's troops from Iraq.
Sen. John McCain considered that "it is hard to see the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq as anything but a win for Iran."
"Iran's number one priority this year was to get all US troops out of Iraq. They will now accomplish that goal," he said, adding that "in his public comments, Iran's Supreme Leader has barely been able to contain his enthusiasm."
Claiming that "there is still work to be done in order to secure a positive future for Iraqis," McCain emphasized that "the Iranian influence in Iraq is a genuine concern for his country."
"The withdrawal showed a failure of leadership- both Iraqi and American- that would have serious negative consequences on the stability of Iraq and the national security interests of the United States," he claimed.
McCain and US War Secretary Leon Panetta clashed directly over US withdrawal.
"We have more than 40,000 American troops that remain in the Gulf region. We're not going anywhere," Panetta replied.
"Your version of history and mine are very different," McCain told Panetta after that particularly sharp exchange.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org
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